Into The Past To Find A Soul
by death-in-the-orchard
Summary: Zero finds himself twenty years into the past.


Zero opened his eyes and then squinted at the bright light in the room. He turned, finding himself surrounded by books in some kind of library. He froze when he found a figure sitting in a reading chair, gently shifting the pages of a book as she read beneath a standing lamp.

"Yuki?" Zero was surprised when he failed to get a response. She never reads…he frowned, but the happy memories of Yuki were heavy as he knew that that girl no longer existed. She was a vampire, a pureblood, the sister and fiancée to Kaname Kuran. He stepped forward, walking to the figure who continued to ignore him. "Yuki, what are you doing here?" he reached for his bloody rose, but stopped and stared at the girl as he got a better look at her. Suddenly another presence entered the room. Zero turned sharply and followed the man with his eyes as he walked over to the girl. He was somewhat familiar, but also a complete stranger. Zero's eyes widened when the girl put her book aside and got up and hugged the man, both were smiling warmly.

"Haruka!" she kissed the man. Zero recoiled from the sight as he easily pictured them as Kaname and Yuki. His eyes widened more as the pregnant state of the girl was made more obvious.

"Juri, sit down. You don't need to get up." The vampire called Haruka said gently with a soft smile that made him contrast sharply with Kaname's image in Zero's mind. He scowled at the loving relationship between the two vampires. He had figured out who they were, but this confused him further. Haruka and Juri Kuran had committed suicide twelve years ago, so why were they standing right before him, completely oblivious of his presence though both were capable purebloods. He flinched when Haruka touched his wife's swollen stomach with an affectionate expression. "We'll be parents soon." He kissed her and she beamed.

"Yes." She laid her hand on top of his. "Our child."

Suddenly everything faded away and Zero felt a sudden panic rise before it fell with the return of the light. He was in a different room now, and the female vampire was lying in the bed with her husband hovering over her shoulder. Zero stared at the little bundle in her arms and didn't realize that he had been walking over towards the family until he stood by the side of the bed not occupied by Haruka. The big reddish brown eyes stared up at Juri and little fists rested on its chest. Haruka stroked one of the infant's brown curls out of his eyes. Zero went rigid when he spoke, but came back to reality when the vampire repeated what he had said, taking the baby's hand and kissing it.

"Our little Kaname."

Zero stared at the baby, hostility forming a frown of disgust on his face. His heart felt hollow when he heard the bell like laugh from the baby and he backed away, towards the wall where he found a chair and sat down. He watched the new family and the light did not fade until the lamps were turned off and Haruka walked out of the room with the baby. Zero followed numbly and entered the next room where he saw Kaname lowered into a crib. Zero was disturbed at how human-like everything about the family was, especially the baby who was asleep now. Zero flinched when the door clicked behind him and he realized that he was alone in the room with the baby.

Aversion to the idea made him leave, and not knowing what he should do he opened the door to the other room and glanced at the vampires who were getting ready to go to sleep, content smiles on their faces. Zero was uncomfortable here, so he didn't mind when the light faded, but when he came to a room, the lights were off. He started when he realized it was the baby's room and he turned to leave but the door suddenly opened, and he noticed voices and then a cry of anguish in the other room. The one who opened the door stole all feeling from Zero.

"Rido…Kuran." He whispered and his eyes widened with the sound of a fight in the room next to him and as the vampire reached into the crib and took the child, leaving quickly. Zero ran out of the room, behind him. He was distracted by all of the blood he could see but not smell that coated the floor on the inside of the open door to the vampires' room.

"Kaname!" he heard a desperate protest from a female voice and saw the number of vampires in the room and those that seemed to fill the house. There were also hunters that didn't appear to know what they were doing. Zero cursed as he realized Rido was controlling them. There also appeared to be some inscription on the door, but he didn't take time to look as he resumed following the pureblood that carried the now crying infant.

"KANAME!"

Zero shivered outside as he could still hear the scream. He saw the scene before him fade and then it reformed. He was surrounded by grey stone. In the center of the room, Rido stood with the infant. Zero noticed the lines on the floor and he looked down, startled by the large inscription in the stone. It was some kind of alchemy circle. His attention snapped towards the baby as it continued to cry and Rido muttered something under his breath. For some reason, Zero was filled with cold dread which paralyzed him.

There was a sudden choked cry from the baby and blood flecked the ground. Zero gasped as Rido dug his fingers deeper into the body held above his head, smiling as he continued to chant quietly. A large coffin caught Zero's eye but he ignored it as he watched Rido slowly kill the baby. The cries became weaker and finally ceased. Zero felt nauseous but he watched as the baby was laid on the floor, the lifeless body making no sound as it was lowered. Zero then shuddered as the small body was picked up again, leaving a pool of blood in the center of the alchemy circle. Rido strode over to the coffin with a wicked grin on his face and he opened the lid. Shadow masked the contents and Zero couldn't tell what was inside. Rido rested the baby on whatever the coffin contained and drew out a dagger with a blade with a blue sheen and silver writing that mirrored the symbols on the floor.

Zero took a step back and his lips parted in horror as the dagger was thrust through the silent child with a sickening crunch and into the coffin. The inscriptions on the floor came to life and blue light shone from the dagger, filling the room with white light, erasing the outlines of what it contained. It faded as quickly as it had come. Not even a moment passed before he heard a manic laugh from the pureblood and the developing cries from the baby.

"What did you do?" Zero yelled, but his voice echoed in a separate realm, apart from what was happening before him, and his demand was unheard. He flinched when Rido stroked the face of the crying baby, almost tenderly, with a fanged grin on his face.

"Kaname Kuran." His different colored eyes flashed. "So you are drawn from your slumber. Remember me, I am your Master. You will serve my purpose. You are mine, you and all of your power." Rido put the child in the coffin and left without another word, though Zero thought he might have heard a distant laugh.

Zero walked to the coffin where the cries were continuing to sound in the stone room. He peered inside and saw the infant, but nothing else. The baby was still covered in blood. His mind reeling, Zero stumbled away from the coffin as two shadows flew to the room, stopping at the door. He saw their torturous faces and Juri trembled as she slowly entered, staring at the coffin. Haruka's wide eyes reflected the blood and faint outline of the alchemy circle when he followed his wife. They came to the coffin and Juri fell to her knees with a sob that shook her body. Haruka's stricken face was hidden in her hair as he knelt down and held her.

Zero stared, lost as he could not understand their reaction. Why didn't they pick up the baby? It was alive, couldn't they see that? Zero jolted as he suddenly remembered who the baby was when Juri spoke.

"Kaname." She whimpered and Haruka's arms tightened around her. "This coffin…it's that coffin." She whispered and Haruka nodded. "Then that…that is…" she couldn't finish as she sobbed again. "He killed our baby! He…!" she was trembling with rage and misery.

"That is no longer our Kaname, Juri, but what will we do with him?" the pureblood straightened somewhat and looked at the coffin. He flinched as he saw the baby. "It could seem to be our Kaname, but it's also obvious that it isn't him."

"What happened to our baby, Haruka?" Juri's voice was an unsteady whisper.

"It's Kaname's body, but his soul is gone. I don't know…I'm sorry Juri." He hugged her. "Kaname is dead."

The light faded again, but Zero barely noticed. He felt empty as light returned to reveal a familiar library where a small figure sat in the reading chair. A book blocked his face, but Zero knew who it had to be. "Kaname."

Zero cringed but his eyes widened when the boy responded and looked at the door where Juri stood. Her stomach was slightly swollen.

"Yes?" Kaname answered quietly and he put the book down. Zero stared at the boy, realizing how young he was and the kind of book he was reading. He could only be three years old, at most. His eyes were large, innocent but intelligent as he looked at the pureblood. "What is it, Mother?"

Zero watched for her reaction and saw something flicker in her gaze. "What are you doing?" she stepped into the room. Kaname smiled slightly, but it wrenched Zero's heart as he realized how sad it was.

"I was reading, Mother. Would you like to join?" there was a slight cringe in the vampire's features, but she covered it up quickly with a warm smile.

"Yes. You're a bright boy, Kaname."

Kaname's soft smile was strange to Zero, never having been able to picture such an expression on the pureblood's face. "Thank you." He watched her as she sat in a chair next to his. "How is Yuki?" Zero started and Juri's smile widened when she looked down at the bump affectionately and touched it. "She is doing well." Her eyes softened and she paused. "She will be your fiancée."

"Yes." Kaname watched her hand quietly with another sad smile on his face. "She will be."


End file.
